Belt-making machine.



D. M. WRIGHT. BELT MAMNG MACHWE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1913.

1,297,770. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- D. M. WRIGHT. BELT MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY I5, 1918.

Patnted Mar. 18,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' chine;

DENVER M. WRIGHT, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

BELT-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed May 15, 1918. Serial No. 234,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENVER M. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton, in the State'of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Making Machines, of whidh the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide, a machine for use in the manufacture of leather straps or belts composed of a plurality of links, and is designed to unite'the several links to form the complete strap or belt.

A further object is to provide a machine for this purpose which shall be exceedingly simple in construction and thoroughly efficient in operation.

The invention is graphically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whichshow one form of embodiment capable of carrying out the underlying principles of my invention. Like reference-characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. The different figures of the drawings may be briefly described as follows:

Figure- 1 is a side elevation of my ma- Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; V Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation, looking at the left hand of Fig. -1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the links of the strap or belt before it is folded and assembled with the remaining links to form the strap;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a belt or strap made by my machine;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 66, Fig. 2; Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views, showing the position of the parts at successive stages in the operation of the machine; I Fig.9 shows, in front or rear elevation, a beltor strap made-by my machine; and 'Fig. 10 isla top plan view of the rigid link-supporting member, of the machine.

Referring, now, in'detail to the drawings: The machine may be provided with a suitable supporting base, in this instance an angle-iron having a bottom flange 1 adapted to be secured to a stationary support 2,,as by bolts passing through bolt-holes l, and a flange 3 perpendicular to the bottom .flange i Secured, as by rivets 4, or the like, to the flange 3 of the supporting base is a bracket 5 carrying a shelf 6 parallel with the baseflange 1.

Carried at one end of said shelf is a rigid link-supporting member 7, in the form of a plate bifurcated at 8 to form legs 9, 9, which are bent upward at their free extremities, to form hooks 10, 10, to engage a leather straplink A (hereinafter to be more particularly described) in av manner to appear later in the description.

Cooperating with and disposed over the plate 7 is a resilient spring-metal member 11, screws 12 passing through one end of the plate 7 and member 11 to secure the same to the shelf 6. The resilient member 11 is bi- .urcated similarly to the plate 7, to provide two arms 13, 13, which are bent so as to incline upward from the legs 9, 9 of the rigid link-supporting member 7, said arms terminating in curved beaks 14, 14 arching over the upturned ends 10, 10 of the rigid linksupporting plate 7'.

Reciprocable in suitable bearings 15, 15 carried by the shelf 6 is a rod 16 carrying,

atone end thereof, an end plate 17 disposed in a plane perpendicular to the shelf 6. The plate 17 is preferably removable, and, to this end, a locking-nut 18 is screwed on the reduced threaded end 16' of the rod 16, thereby clamping the plate rigidly to the rod.

The end plate 17 is provided with two apertures 19, 1,9, totreceive tubular members 20, 20, constituting sleeves encircling the legs 9, 9 of the plate 7 and the resilient legs 13, 13 of the plate 11. The diameter ofthe tubular members 20, 20. is such that, when the rod 16 is reciprocated so as to move the members 20, 20 toward the beaks 14, 14 of the resilient legs 13, 13, the latter will be pressed downward toward the upturned ends or hooks 10, 10 of the rigid plate 11 (as shown in Fig. 8). The tubular members 20, 20 may be brazed or welded to the end plate 17, or otherwise secured thereto. Between the right hand bearing 15 in Fig. 1 and a collar 21 fast on the rod 16 is .an expansion spring 22 coiled around the rod, and tending to move the same toward the right in Fig. 1.,

Limiting movement of the rod 16 in adirection toward the right in Fig. 1 isa collar 23 provided with a set-screw 24, whereby the collar may be adjusted on the rod 16. The collar 23, by abutting the bearing 15, limits HEW CQEi-V movement; of the rod toward the rightin Fig. 1.

Suitable means for reciprocating said rod are provided, and, in thisinstame,

ver 2 1 fulcrumed at 25 to the bracketb, the shorter arm of the lever being provlded, at its free extremity, wlth' a yoke 26embracing a pin 27 projecting through. .a block2f3 and through the rod 16. The block slides on the shel6 and, moveswith the rod 16. Pressing downward on the lever 24; will reciprocate the rod 16 to the left in Fig. 1, as SlXOWdlill dotted lines.

Oneof the ,linkslof the belt or strap;.is shown in Figa, and is preferablyofi leather. As shown, the link A is a blank, which may becut orstamped out of a sheetof leather by suitable cutting-dies, and has, preferably, rounded vor-curred endsv a, a, and the sides .of the blank, intermediate their length, are curved, inward, as shown. at a1, a. The blank is slitted, ata theslit commencing, tat one of said curvedends wandiolloiving-an imaginary line, dividing the. 1 blank longitudinally; intolhalves, and-terminates, at the center of the,bla nk,- in an expanded, substantially. elliptical aperture a in a lineinent with the curved portionso, aof the sides of the ,blank. The-blank isalso provided, toward each end, with apair'of transversely.- alinedgholes-a, a

In operation, the link A. is ,folded bythe operator, along-the. dotted ,line i shown in Fig. 4, so that the-pairs. of apertures a a? and at, at register... Then. the 013,61-211201'g-13151G6S one ofgthe; fingers of oneofi hishands on the. resilie1rtarms-13, 13, and ,pressesthe latter E toward-athe armsfl, 9,,and With'ihQfiI ge 'S f his .other hand p shes the folded blank n saidarms13, 13 and .9, 9, which thereupon project throughthe. registering holesat, a

andot, at, of-thebelt-link- A. The operator then-.pushes..,th e. folded .link. A along the arms 13,: 13, and 9,: 9 until the link. rests against, the, end-plate 17;

- Then the, operator takes .asecond, unfolded, ink; A andplacestheosameon the hooks .10, 10, which engage-the, holes. (5*, a inthesplit ,end ofthe blank;.;A, Which latter is therebysuspgmded. from the arms 9, 9, as

clearly,shovvn in,F1gs. 6, 7 and 8. Garemust be takentoplace this. link-1A onthe hooks 19,,.10.so..that; the split end of. thelink is adjacent the hooks because, if thelink A. vinerereversel-y, disposedonthehooks, 0., withthe. unsplit en adjacent the. hooks, it

' wonldbe, ,impossibleto. operate the machine.

Lever 24. is now. moved. downward, which reciprocates the rod 16 in the direction of thearrow in Figs. .1, 7 andS Fig, 6 represents thepositionl oft-he parts at thebeginning, of movement of the r0d16. Fig, 7 represents the. position of. the parts .Whenthe rod, 16 moved, sufliciently to bring 1 the such means preferably comprise a bell-eranklefoldedgblank A'dntQ" contact with: the other, unfolded blank A suspended'from the hooks 10, 10,-the end-plate 17 pushing the folded blank-alonglthe arms 9, 9 and 13, 13 and the tubular members 20, 2O impinging the resili'entarms 13, 13 to press the same downward toward the hooks 10, 10. Fig. 8 represents the position of the parts When,'th.e..rod 16. has reachedthe. limit of its movement in the direction of the arrow. ter movement, theioldedblank. A, has been forced, by; the.e1 1d plate. 17, onto What may be called, the vlegs of; I thev unfolded blank, e., t'hose,por, tions of tllfi lllliOldQd blankon each side of, the, split. e ,,,s1l h .legsgpassmg through ,the egis eri g..- holes, 1 t, f t. in i he ded blan se sishonzain. gw As seen as the lever 2a is released, the spring QZ 'rer mist ed l6 and. W h.-i heend-rla e 17 d ubulelzmem ersfl 2Q te' qrmelatq i- 8 i e up p. e pr ng etal silient arms .;13.,. 13 spring, ani'ayefromthe hQ0l Sgq1Q 10 v(as shown in. ig, 1), Theunitemblanks may now be removed from the machine, and

heiunf ded blank .whosebifumated' 1 3 1?fiTfihg s fifil mere-d l iQl gl the eaf ns'. sn es. t a of he o die blank...

is now, in turn, folded by.the, operato,rg'so that its t vo. pairs. of, transyersely-alined ol s a at eg ster; whereumn, thisew y;

ol edfil l l iSn l. 11m,. spa sd-fiatlie m chine. ho n acoln ee ion. i h h o edb ank F g. nd a..new.blank; (w lded) s dispes d. athehede. 9,1 9, and h peration t emachine e ea; and so on, until,the ,necessary;nu; not links have been, united to form the desired belt or strap. i f

s-thueiully. e s-s ed.myana nti m hama yj dir nt e kes. h reqflwi li e app .9

e especially to i e.:- ki1 ed;ii the art to wh c it pe tain Man hana s spee e y 111 fitaihmm emadQiR- hQ 'Ph a alfiee:

bodiment; f" my: yent en, t e ng r elzstood that I am' entitled to a fair ran e iyalents, wording m he ope miny invention, nd he. hiit heappeeded la ms...

Haying thus. fi lly escribed i y. nyen:

tion, whatlj claim; as. new, and desire. ,.to; se- 11 curebv. Letters. P ent, is; a

111 a machine for..ma eabelts nstree omp s d efifle. i al l ks l le..- omb nati th? We --r gi i ookmemb rs o wo. cooperating. resilient, lIQQlQ-Bamlng .1}

mbers. d po ed oven,.sal afirstrmeetiqhed members. and-meme lsm-ffor flexing. s resilient; emben wnand. saidyrlgidfmemers... nclud nsg inrop bla edi- 2.111. a ma. hin rmakiiiae ter.ste k q ires d. of fl xible e s, he-combi efiea W wo.;. 1. e s-newnes .me bers,of twor p atmg;.a esi ientokann ng members disposed over said first-mentioned memb rs. i sl me han se onflesesfi aid...

During this lat- 75 resilient members toward said rigid members, including a reciprocab-le rod and an end plate carried by said rod.

3. In a machine for making belts or straps composed of flexible links, the combination, with two rigid hook-carrying members, of two cooperating resilient hook-carrying members disposed over said first-mentioned members, and mechanism for flexing said resilient members toward said rigid members, comprising areciprocable rod, an end plate carried by said rod and through which said hook-carrying members loosely project, and tubular members carried by said end plate and encircling said hook-carrying members.

4. In a machine for making belts or straps composed of flexible links, the combination, with two rigid hook-carrying members, of two cooperating resilient hook-carrying members disposed over said first-mentioned members, and mechanism for flexing said resilient members toward said rigid members, including a reciprocable rod, and a lever for reciprocating said rod in one direction.

5. In a machine for making belts or straps composed of flexible links, the combination, with two rigid hook-carrying members, of two cooperating resilient hook-carrying members disposed over said first-mentioned members, and mechanism for flexing said resilient members toward said rigid members, including a reciprocable rod, a lever for reciprocating said rod in one direction, and means for automatically restoring said rod to normal position.

6. In a machine for making belts or straps composed of flexible links, the combination, with a plate bifurcated longitudinally to provide two rigid arms, of a second plate disposed over said first-mentioned plate and similarly bifurcated to provide two resilient arms bent so as to incline upward from said first-mentioned arms, and mechanism for flexing said resilient arms toward said rigid arms, including a reciprocable rod.

7. In a machine for making belts or straps composed of flexible links, the combination,

with two rigid, hook-carrying arms, of two cooperating resilient hook-carrying arms disposed over said rigidarms, and mechanism for flexing said resilient arms toward said rigid arms.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DENVER M. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

JOHN S. HIGHsMrrH, GEO. ALLEN Monnox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

